China is not a country – it’s a whole different world. From shop-till-you-drop metropolises to the epic grasslands of Inner Mongolia, with deserts, sacred peaks, astounding caves, and imperial ruins in between. Thank Buddha, management recently stopped destroying temples. Now they rip down mountains and poison rivers instead. But there’s still plenty to see once you’ve mastered the art of bulldozing your way through crowds and decorating footpaths, buses and restaurants with spit of every color and consistency known to humankind. Unless you have a couple of years and unlimited patience, it’s best to follow a loose itinerary here, such as Beijing to Tibet via Xian’s terracotta warriors, following the Silk Road route, sailing down the Yangzi River, or exploring the Dr. Seuss landscape of Guangxi Province.
The third-largest country in the world, China is bounded to the north by the deserts of Mongolia, to the west by the inhospitable Tibetan plateau and Himalaya, and to the east by the East and South China seas. China’s 22 provinces and five autonomous regions are governed from Beijing, along with some 5000 islands. Hong Kong and Macau have now returned to the fold as Special Administrative Regions (SAR). Disputed territories are dotted near and far around China’s south-east coast. Taiwan – which is bound to be next on China’s shopping list – is the best known. Then there’s the oil-rich Spratly Island group which every country in the region wants to suck dry, the Diaoyutai Islands (known as Senkaku to the Japanese), the Paracels (or Xisha, if China gets its way), and the Pescadores (or Penghu).
SANYA
Sanya (三亚) is located on Hainan (海南), the smallest province of the People’s Republic of China located off the southern coast of the country. (For those American readers, this is the island where the US spy plane landed when it was shot down by China). When speaking of “Hainan” in Chinese, it is usually the main Hainan Island that is referred to. The PRC government claims Hainan’s territories to extend to the southern Spratly Islands, Paracel Islands and other disputed marine territory. Hainan is also known as the largest Special Economic Zone laid out by Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in the late 1980s.
Sanya is the southernmost city in Hainan province, China and has an estimated population of 150,208 (2006). After Haikou, it is the second most populous city of the island. Sanya is revered for its tropical climate and is a popular tourist destination. Sanya is only 1.5 hours from HK by plane so its very easy to visit.
I was scheduled to visit Sanya for a venture capital offsite on a Friday after a long arduous work trip throughout mainland China. During the week, as I told people in China I was heading there I heard the following advice:
Monday: “Sanya? Oh, that’s like the Hawaii of China!”
Tuesday: “Sanya! Wow, that’s the Hawaii of China!”
Wednesday: “SANYA! THAT PLACE IS BETTER THAN HAWAII!”
I can safely say that after coming back from Sanya, it is truly better than Hawaii! There are top tier hotels (e.g., Sheraton) and the prices are very reasonable – after all we’re still in China! Finally, Chinese people don’t share the same affinity for the beach and sun as Americans. As such, the beaches weren’t crowded and were mostly filled with sunbathing Europeans and Australians.
Yalong Wan
This is a local park that located at a beach 7.5 km southeast of Sanya City. The park reminded me of a turn-of-the-century Universal Studios. Small trams take you around to key locations which are primarily religious sites or shrines. The highlight of the park is the a 108-meter Buddhist statue of Guanyin. This statue was completed in May 2005 and is one of the tallest statues in the world.
HONG KONG
In 1997, the British set sail from Victoria Harbor and Hong Kong became the new Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. Today it’s business as usual in the former colony. Beneath all of the ultra-modern clothes and haircuts and the glossy building exteriors, however beats the heart of old Hong Kong. CEOs head home to light joss sticks and pay homage to Buddha in front of ancestral shrines. The gliding junks and incense-clouded temples of Hong Kong’s past endure, somewhat obscured by McDonald’s golden arches and shelves upon shelves of Gap khakis.
My wife and I had the unique opportunity to grow up in Hong Kong during its rise as an “Asia Tiger”. During the 1970s and 1980s, Hong Kong evolved from a back water entreport into a global financial center to rival New York, London and Tokyo. Much has changed since we left for North America. Gone are the rickshaws that populated the Star Ferry and the abundant number of foreigners that gave Hong Kong a colonial, cosmopolitan feel. Much has changed. For instance, in place of the many British are now many tourists from Mainland China. Both most things remain the same – if not more abundant. Skyscrapers are even more prevalent as are the number of taxi cabs and . Domestic help from south east Asia countries such as Philippines and Indonesia appear more abundant than ever – particularly on Sundays in key parts of Central. And the pollution seems to keep growing at an ever increasing pace…However, going back to Hong Kong always gives my wife and me a sense of nostalgia. It is truly a unique place and I highly encourage you to visit if you ever find yourself in Asia. You will not be disappointed!
The city is definitely a must for anyone thinking about traveling to the region and is an ideal location to start any journey through southeast Asia. I personally lived there for over 13 years so I can recommend places to eat and things to see during your visit. I’ve included my pictures and descriptions of some of the sights that I was able to see during my visit from July 4 to July 12, 1999. Enjoy!
The Peak
The Peak is one of my favorite places in Hong Kong because it is here where you can truly experience the sharp contrasts of city, harbor and green. The great vistas make it one of the most popular tourist destinations and the clean air makes it a novelty in a city full of smog and congestion! On a clear (aka rare) day, you can see Tsing Ma Bridge, Hong Kong Disneyland, Lamma Island and other outlying islands. You can get here either by taking a bus or the Peak Tram from Central. I highly recommend the Peak Tram which has been providing unforgettable views since 1888. The cable pulled tram travels along a track so steep that nearby buildings appear to be tilting!
The Hong Kong Space Museum
This is an astronomy and space science museum located in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. I used to come here as a kid and brought my own children to check it out. The building is notable for its hemispherical shape, which contains a planetarium, the only one in Hong Kong. The main facilities of the museum are located in a building next to the planetarium, showcasing information about the Solar System, cosmology, and spaceflight.
If you visit, you can also hop over to the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the Hong Kong Museum of Art, and the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower, all of which are also located in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Man Mo Temple
One of the first traditional style temples built during the colonial era, Man Mo Temple’s magnificent external architecture reflects its historical roots. Inside, the air is thick with plumes of aromatic smoke from the coils and incense sticks that are said to carry prayers to the spirit world. Gold altars and red shrines pay homage to the Taoist gods of literature (“Man”) and war (“Mo”) – “Man” with his calligraphy brush and “Mo” with his sword. There is also a statue of Pau Kung, the god of justice, and another of Shing Wong, the god of the city. The plaques near the entrance give an interesting perspective on the history of the temple and its gods. The temple’s historical relics include a bronze bell dated 1847 and imperial sedan chairs made in 1862.
Central
This is the central business district of Hong Kong. It is located on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula. This is the area where many multinational financial services corporations have their headquarters. Consulates general and consulates of many countries are also located in this area, as is Government Hill, the site of the government headquarters. The area, with its proximity to Victoria Harbour, has served as the centre of trade and financial activities from the earliest days of the British colonial era in 1841, and continues to flourish and serve as the place of administration after the handover to China in 1997.
Western Market & Sheung Wan Fong
The Western Market, an Edwardian-style building originally called the Harbour Office, was built in 1906 and later became a food market before closing in 1988. Two years later, it was declared a historical monument, renovated and re-opened as the Western Market in 1991. Next to it is a compass-like piazza named Sheung Wan Fong. I encourage you to visit this market to see how people in Hong Kong bought meat before the advent of mass supermarkets. I remember coming here as a boy and seeing all the carcasses hanging from hooks and listening to the local butchers yell out the latest deals of the day. The smell of the place still lingers in my mind and if you ever get a chance to whiff the air you’ll know what I mean.
Food
Hong Kong is a food lover's paradise. As an obese kid who ate his way through childhood, I can attest that there is no shortage of good things to eat in Hong Kong. There is not only an abundance of great seafood and meats but desserts galore. Egg tarts for everyone!
Victoria Harbor
Nothing demonstrates the pulsating growth of Hong Kong more than Victoria Harbor. As you can see in these pictures, Hong Kong has grown rapidly from a small island into a thriving metropolis with skyscrapers that rival New York and Tokyo.
Wong Tai Sin Temple
This very large and active Taoist temple was built in 1973 and contains some sights that are very common in Chinese culture but may seem usual for people from the West. Aside from the people praying and giving offerings to the gods, there are galleries of fortune tellers, people shaking joss sticks for good luck and fortune telling, beautiful stone gardens carved in traditional Chinese style and numerous urns for burning incense. Below is a picture of Lauren having her fortune told by a local fortune teller. In addition, I’ve included pictures of numerous bas-reliefs of Kowloon (Nine Dragons) at the Wong Tai Sin Temple.
Longest Escalator In the World (Travelator)
At 800 meters long, this is the world’s longest covered escalator. It links Des Voeux Road Central near the harbor to Conduit Road (where I lived) in the Mid-Levels. The escalator is a convenient way to see the city hillside which contains great restaurants and shops. Traveling the entire length takes about 20 minutes. The escalator runs one-way downhill from 6 am to 10 am and then uphill from 10:20 am to midnight. This hillside escalator is known locally as a travelator. We took it many times to travel from Central to the Mid-Levels of Hong Kong Island in an effort to avoid the horrendous traffic.
Tiger Balm Gardens
Officially known as the Aw Boon Haw Gardens, these gardens are three hectares of grotesque sanctuary in appalingly bad taste but are a sight to behold. Aw Boon Haw made his fortune from the Tiger Balm cure everything medication and this was his gift to Hong Kong. Its meant to teach people about heaven and hell and famous Chinese religious beliefs. Unfortunately, its scheduled to be torn down before the beginning of the Millenium so if you want to see it you must hurry! Below I’m standing in front of a few murals depicting life in Hell. Not exactly the Sistine Chapel…
Ching Chung Koon Temple
Located on the north east side of the New Territories, this temple is a classic illustration of Chinese temple architecture. These pictures show the classic urns for incense burning, the furnaces for burning paper objects so that they can be used in the afterlife (e.g., money, cars, clothes, etc.), porcelain paintings, and tiled frescoes.
There are furnaces used for burning offerings and all things made of paper including money, cars, houses, etc. Essentially anything you want to take to the after-life or sent to your ancestors in the after-life.
Sai Kung Town
This is a town on Sai Kung Peninsula, facing Sai Kung Hoi (Inner Port Shelter), part of Sai Kung District in the New Territories, Hong Kong. Sai Kung is the central hub of nearby surrounding villages, and hence the name may also refer to the areas in its immediate surroundings.
It was established as a market town for the surrounding villages around 100 years ago. It's a great place to enjoy the ocean, and partake in some great seafood.
LAMMA ISLAND
Lying just a half-hour ferry ride from Central, Lamma Island is the third largest of Hong Kong’s islands and is a unique escape for Hong Kongers from the hustle and bustle of urban life. There are no cars here and few buildings are over three storeys high. Trails meander along hills and coastline and the beaches are actually quite clean and inviting!
My earliest memories of Lamma Island were as a young boy heading with my family to eat fresh seafood on its shores. Over the last 20 years the site has become much more commercial and small stalls where we lunched have now given way to rows of seafood restaurants that ferry customers to and from Hong Kong Island.
Yung Shue Wan
Our route took us first to the small village of Yung Shue Wan. Until a few decades ago, this was a small village relying mostly on agriculture and fishing. It has expanded in recent years mostly to accommodate people attracted to the lower rents and laid-back lifestyle. Walking the narrow streets between the tightly packed buildings, you’ll see shops and restaurants that reflect his mixed heritage: stalls with dried fish, shops selling TVs and outlets with ghastly clothing.
Hung Shing Yeh Beach
This beach was surprising clean (for Hong Kong) and would be one of the few places I’d actually consider swimming.
Lamma Winds
At the top of a long, windy paved road is a single wind generator. This was built as a testament to Hong Kong’s commitment to alternative energy and a symbol of the regions need to pursue forms of clean technology. We trekked to the top and took some photos of the Hong Kong island and the wind generator.
Pavilion
Though there are a few small woods, the vegetation is mostly sparse grassland and scrub. At the top of the hill there is a pavilion with nice panoramic views of Lamma and nearby islands such as Cheung Chau and Lantau (site of the Hong Kong airport and Giant Buddha).
Lo So Shing Beach
During the Tang Dynasty (7th to 10th century AD), this was a center of local industry where seashells were baked to make lime. There are kilns nearby and many make shift docking stations for rich Hong Kongers to dock their boats while they snack on fresh seafood at the nearby restaurants. As you walk from Lo So Shing to Sok Kwu Wan, you’ll see tunnels that were used during the Japanese occupation in the Second World War. These tunnels were known as Kamakaze Tunnels as the Japanese used to camp in here to await unsuspecting enemies.
Sok Kwu Wan
As you’ll see, seafood restaurants dominate Sok Kwu Wan. They mostly serve people arriving on pleasure junks but are also a great place to eat lunch after a long walk. We had a fixed price meal for two (HK$320) at the Rainbow Seafood restaurant that was surprisingly good and include a free ferry ride back to Hong Kong island!
CHEUNG CHAU ISLAND
Cheung Chau is an island 6.2 miles southwest of Hong Kong Island. It is nicknamed the 'dumbbell island due to its shape. The island translated from Cantonese is "Long Island". The central part of the island is well developed with shops and houses. The lane-ways are so narrow that normal motor traffic is impossible. Instead, there are small motorized trucks officially termed "village vehicles", which include specially designed mini-fire engines, ambulances and police cars.
Traditionally the island was a fishing village and there are still fishing fleets working from the harbor. However, in recent years the island has become a major tourist attraction, offering a mixture of sandy swimming beaches, seafood cafés, and traditional Chinese culture.
LANTAU ISLAND
Lantau is the largest outlying island in Hong Kong – almost twice the size of Hong Kong! More than half of Lantau has been designated a country park area. Its tranquil and green environment makes it a popular spot for nature lovers and hikers. Incidentally, the island is also home to Hong Kong’s top notch international airport, Chek Lap Kok, and much maligned Hong Kong Disneyland which opened in 2006.
BEIJING
As a capital, Beijing casts a long shadow over the rest of China. Regardless of time meridians, Beijing time is followed nationwide; around the country, the Beijing dialect – putonghua – is spoken; and places such as Tibet and Ürümqi are forced to refer to the central government on all matters.
If you want to visit China, you must come to Beijing and spend at least a few days. You will be impressed by the expansive streets, the historical monuments and the local flavor.
For Beijing, the dictum that a nation’s capital doesn’t reflect the nature of the country as a whole is especially true. Instead it’s a People’s Republic of China (”PRC”) showpiece and a city of orderly design, with long, straight boulevards crisscrossed by lanes. Places of interest are easy to find if they’re located on these avenues – and nearly impossible to find if they’re buried down the narrow alleys. Below are pictures of the numerous malls and the old railway station – a real contrast of old and new.
The city’s central core was once a walled enclosure, and it still maintains its ancient symmetry based on a north-south axis passing through Qianmen (Front Gate). I’ve been to Beijing on more trips that I can remember since the mid-1990s. Unfortunately, many of the ancient aspects of the city have been quickly erased. For instance, the hutongs, or alleyways are few and far between now…
During the nightlife in Beijing beware of women offering “foot massages” and Karaoke nights! Unless that’s your bag! 🙂 . Its is constantly changing and advancing so I really enjoyed wandering the streets and seeing the local people gawk at their Chinese American brethren.
Frankly, if I could stand the pollution and congestion, I think Beijing would be a fascinating place to live. Here are some sights of the city. Enjoy as I can guarantee you they will be different in the months and years to come!
If you come to Beijing, you must try the signature dish: Beijing Duck! Just try not to each it every night or you may end up like one of those zip-locked Beijing Ducks you can buy at the airport (when you visit China you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about).
The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City, which was off-limits to most of the world for 500 years, is the biggest and best preserved cluster of ancient buildings in China. Although the ‘hundred surnames’, or hoi polloi, are now permitted entrance, its original owners, the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasty, insulated themselves from the masses and maintained a rigid one-way communications flow. Regal fiats from the nerve center of the country were delivered to peasant subjects beyond the wall by eunuchs and other powerful court officials.
The old world of beautiful concubines and priapic emperors, ball-breaking (and -broken) eunuchs and conspicuous wealth still hovers around the lush gardens, courtyards, pavilions and great halls of the palace. Most of the buildings are post-18th century; there have been periodic losses due to an injudicious mix of lantern festivals and Gobi winds, invading Manchus and, in this century, pillaging and looting by both the Japanese forces and the Kuomintang (ruling political party prior to the ascension of the Chinese Communists). A permanent restoration squad takes about 10 years to renovate its 720,000 square metres, 800 buildings and 9000 rooms, by which time it’s time to start all over again.
A tour of the Forbidden City starts at the top and ends at the southern most tip and leads you into Tiananmen Square. At the entrance you can grab an audio tour that describes each of the major builidings and describes the use of each room. Interestingly, the English version is narrated by Roger Moore of James Bond fame!
You may recognize the Emperor’s Throne if you watched the Oscar-winning movie, the Last Emperor. Too bad you can’t go up to it to check if cricket cages are still hidden underneath the seat. Actually, you pretty much can’t touch anything – although you’re allowed to stare to your heart’s content!
As you progress through the city, you will notice what looks like gateways. In fact, these are the palaces where various members of the Emperor’s family and staff resided.
This side area, off the beaten path, was where many locals were hanging out. Upon closer review, you can see many Chinese Chess games going on! The royal gardens are among the most beautiful places in the city. Definitely a good place for reflection and grabbing a Coke on a hot, humid, Beijing afternoon.
This is where you enter and pick up your audio tour. Be warned that tourists purchase entrance tickets at a separate window so that you can pay 10x the local rate.
Summer Palace
This was the Emperor’s other home away from home. Not bad for a 2nd home…although something tells me he had primary and summer homes in every province in China.
Great Wall of China
The Great Wall, as a metaphor, has gone through a few restorations in its time. When it was originally built 2,000 years ago by the Qing dynasty it was a sturdy “No Trespassing” sign directed at neighboring kingdoms.
For centuries after that it remained neglected and forgotten until 18th-century Europeans, infatuated with progress and artifice, appended a “Great” to it and sat back to marvel at man’s prehensile capacity to build “really BIG things”.
Today it’s a tourist attraction, half Wonder of the World and half Kitschville, but to many Chinese it’s just a wall. They seem to reserve for it, and the foreigners who come to marvel, a kind of bemused tolerance. To peasants in rural areas the Great Wall is less majestically known as ‘old frontier’. The majority of visitors climb the wall at Badaling, along with the tourist packs, the touts, and the sellers of reclining buddhas with lightbulbs in their mouths.
If you want to experience the wall far from this madding crowd, you’d do better to travel a little farther afield and take a walk on the wilder side of the Huanghua section, 35 miles (60 km) north of Beijing. It’s a classic and well-preserved example of Ming defense with high and wide ramparts, intact parapets and sturdy beacon towers.
As you can see in the pictures, the Great Wall is frequented not just by tourists but local Chinese as well. In fact, one of the locals explained to me that walking the Great Wall is akin to New Yorkers enjoying Central Park on a sunny afternoon.
Many Chinese locals walk the Wall for exercise and its amazing views. It gets amazingly steep – like a stepmaster for Chinese locals! One thing that is not obvious from these pictures is the mass of merchants hidden in each keep of the Wall. As you scale the wall, you enter these areas where merchants will smother you with “I Walked The Wall” t-shirts and other knick knacks. There are also a lot of knick knack and curio stores on the way to-and-from the Great Wall. For example, there are a good number of porcelain makers along the way. Its fascinating to watch how it is made – I never realized how much work it was.
Tiananmen Square
Forever sullied, Tiananmen Square is the world’s largest public square, lies at the heart of Beijing, and is a vast desert of pavestones and photo booths. Though it was a gathering place and the site of government offices in the imperial days, Tiananmen Square is Mao’s creation, as is Chang’an Jie – the street leading onto it.
Major rallies took place here during the Cultural Revolution when Mao, wearing a Red Guard armband, reviewed parades of up to a million people. In 1976 another million people jammed the square to pay their last respects. In 1989 PLA tanks and soldiers cut down pro-democracy demonstrators here. Today the square is a place for people to wander and fly kites or buy balloons for the kids. Surrounding the square is a mish-mash of monuments past and present:
You will also see the Mao Mausoleum where you can purchase Mao memorabilia and catch a glimpse of the man himself (when his mortuary make-up isn’t being refreshed). Right outside the Mausoleum is the Monument to the People’s Heroes.
Tiantan Park/Temple of Heaven
Tiantan Park, or the Temple of Heaven, as some call it, is one of the most photographed buildings in the world. It was built in 1420, and was the place where Ming and Qing emperors prayed to heaven for a good harvest. Today, it is surrounded by a 660-acre park and is an icon of such enduring value that it shorthands the entire city.
The park’s classic Ming architecture gives it heaps of symbolic value and the name has been used to brand products from tiger balm to plumbing fixtures, as well as decorating a plethora of tourist literature. It’s set in a park, with four gates at the cardinal points, and walls to the north and east. It originally functioned as a vast stage for solemn rites and rituals.
Built between 1406 and 1420, the complex is laid out according to the needs of a sacred ceremony, as it was believed to be the one place on earth with direct access to heaven for the emperors, who were regarded as celestial go-betweens.
All of the buildings in the park, including the Round Altar, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests are tangible conversations between the gods and mortals.
The buildings are carefully thought out paeans to ancient gods and beliefs; fengshui, numerology, cosmology and religion all played a part in their original construction, and the result is an awesome display of god in the architecture and the devil in the detail. Tiantan Park remains an important meeting place where many city dwellers start the day with a spot of t’ai chi, dancing or game-playing in the park. By 9am the park reverts to being just a park so get there early if you want to see what Beijingers do before breakfast.
The main building that has rightly become a symbol of Beijing is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. From the Gate of Prayer for Good Harvests to the Bridge of Vermilion Stairs, there is a raised walkway that leads to the Imperial Vault of Heaven. Today it is best known for the wall that surrounds it, called the Echo or Whispering Wall because of its acoustics design that carries sound so well.
The Temple of Heaven is a masterpiece of architecture and landscape design which simply and graphically illustrates a cosmogony of great importance for the evolution of one of the world’s great civilizations. The main prayer bell is shown above and illustrates the craftsmanship of the era. The bell would be rung prior to solemn occasions of prayer and fasting by the emperors.
The symbolic layout and design of the Temple of Heaven had a profound influence on architecture and planning in the Far East over many centuries. For more than two thousand years China was ruled by a series of feudal dynasties, the legitimacy of which is symbolized by the design and layout of the Temple of Heaven.
To the south of the Imperial Vault of Heaven is the Circular Mound, an open-air altar consisting of three round marble terraces. This is where the emperors used to offer their prayers to the gods. To the west of the complex is the Hall of Abstinence, where emperors would prepare for fasting.
Ming Tombs
A narrow, dead-end valley just north of Changping is the final resting place for 13 of the Ming dynasty’s emperors. The area’s vast scale and imperial grandeur convey the importance attached to ancestor worship in ancient China. A shen lu (spirit way) passes through an outer pavilion and between stone rows of imperial advisers and huge, charming, serene elephants, lions, camels, horses, and other creatures on its 7-km (4½-mi) journey to the burial sites. Most tourists combine a visit to the Ming Tombs, with a trip to the Great Wall. Thirteen Ming Emperors are buried within stone altars and crumbling walls. Trees and pleasant scenery make the Ming Tombs a good picnic spot, but the tombs themselves are not much to see. In addition to the ancient relics, there are some additional modern tourist attractions: a wax museum, an aerospace museum, an amusement park, a swimming pool, and a variety of souvenir and snack stalls.
By the way, my two cents is that this tourist sight is a real let down. Not only are the tombs devoid of any distinctive culture, but mostly all of the artifacts have been removed and sent to the Chinese national museums. However, if you’re looking for something to do and see, it's worth a trip.
The entrance to the tombs looks like one that would have been built in a present day commercial bank vault. Not much to see except for perhaps the other tourists who may look as disgusted as you are! These are the boxes that contained the remains of the Emperors. Don’t expect to find anything – my understanding is everything is either at the Beijing National Museum or more likely in Taipei, Taiwan.
Chinese Communist Party School
It's a long story but I was able to visit the Communist Party school where the future leaders of China are trained. We had lots of mao tai (a distilled liquor drink that US President Nixon drank with Chairman Mao) that has now become a traditional greeting drink among government bureaucrats and managed to discuss a little business!
SHANGHAI
Festooned with colorful nicknames like “the Paris of China” and “the Paris of the Orient”, Shanghai has long been symbolic of the West’s rape of the East. In the years following 1949 its gaudy past and foreign appearance was a constant blot on the People’s Republic of China’s psyche. The city is divided in half by the Huangpu River, with most of the city’s highlights located in Puxi. The city is said to have half the world’s cranes in it (and judging by the skyline this can’t be too far from the truth) but Shanghai’s past still lingers. The best times to visit are spring and autumn – winter and summer here are merciless in their respective extremes. Shanghai is 15 hours from Beijing by train and a hop-skip and a jump by plane.
The Bund
The Bund is an Anglo-Indian term for the embankment of a muddy waterfront. The term is apt: mud bedevils the city. Its muddy predicament aside, the Bund is symbolic. To the Europeans, it was Shanghai’s Wall Street, a place of feverish trading and an unabashed playground for Western business sophisticates. It remains the city’s most eloquent reminder that Shanghai is a very foreign invention. Still a grand strip of hotels, shopping streets and nightclubs, the Bund remains an intrinsic part of Shanghai’s character. Constant throngs of Chinese and foreign tourists pad past the porticos of the Bund’s grand edifices while the buildings themselves loom serenely; a vagabond assortment of neoclassical 1930s downtown New York styles, with a touch of monumental antiquity thrown in for good measure.
The building identified by a crowning dome is the old Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, completed in 1921 with much pomp and ceremony. For many years it has housed the Shanghai People’s Municipal Government. The Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank has long been negotiating to get it back. Other Bund fixtures are being sold off, and will no doubt be dusted off and cleaned up.
Definitely take the time to walk down this waterfront boulevard. Between the street lamps and nearby colossal buildings, I’d swear you could imagine you were on the banks of the Thames in London if not for the thousands of Chinese families milling around.
Memorial Monument
This memorial monument is located at the edge of the Bund and is dedicated to the brave Communist Chinese who fought against the tyranny of capitalism. Cap off an afternoon stroll along the waterfront with an evening of fine dining at one of Shanghai’s hippest eateries, M on the Bund. Affording one of the most spectacular views in Shanghai, M serves up some hearty Continental cuisine and truly out-of-this-world deserts. Or take in some jazz at the Peace Hotel, an old Shanghai landmark, where a swing band from way back still manages to bleat out big band classics.
Oriental Pearl Television Tower
Across the Huangpu River from downtown Shanghai lies the once swampy expanse known as Pudong, or “East of the Huangpu.” In the early 1990s, the government declared its intention to turn Pudong into China’s business and finance capital, and the rapid change has been astounding as high rises shoot forth from the rice patties. The first monument to emerge on the eastern shore was the futuristic/retro Oriental Pearl Television Tower. A collection of orbs, spikes and spires, it is considered incredibly ugly by many, all the more so with the 1999 addition of the twin globes of the Pudong Convention Center at its base, but that doesn’t stop travelers from forking out 50 RMB to visit.
Old Chinese City/Yuyuan Garden
The Old Chinese City, to the south of the Bund, was a walled fishing town when the British arrived in 1843. Modern Shanghai grew up around it. It used to be a maze of tiny alleys, but much of it has been torn down and rebuilt in recent years. The widened alleys are still crowded with tourists, domestic and foreign. The old city wall which once contained it has long since been demolished, but one gate remains on Renmin Lu. The southern portion of the Old City contains sprawling street markets of bric-a-brac and souvenirs, while to the north lies the newly constructed “Shanghai Old Street” with lots of shops selling antiques, both genuine and otherwise.
Yuyuan Garden is 16th-century garden, consisting of a maze of colorful pavilions, ponds, stone dragons, arching trees, and flowers, surrounding the instantly recognizable zigzag bridge. It is one of China’s finest examples of Ming Dynasty gardens and architecture. The Yuyuan, or “Yu the Mandarin’s Garden”, is characteristic of the architectural style of the Ming dynasty. It is a private garden in the southeast of Shanghai, with a history of more than 400 years. The Garden features more than 30 halls and pavilions. It is divided into six parts, each separated by a white brick wall, the top of which forms and undulating gray dragon. Each part of the park, although divided, has a balance and harmony creating a unity of expression. Yuyuan Garden’s Huxin Ting teahouse is very popular and numerous stalls sell delicious Chinese snacks and desserts.
During my time in Shanghai, my greatest pleasure was wandering the streets and finding local tea gardens, shopping malls and restaurants. Many of the local tea gardens are packed with bao/bread shops, ceramics stores, temples and other local curiosities. Frankly, if you are looking for real Chinese culture, I believe its in places like this were you can experience and share with the locals. I consider myself a pretty seasoned Chinese cuisine aficionado but I saw some things that even I wouldn’t eat!
XI'AN
Xi’an (西安), the eternal city, is one of the best places to visit in China if you are a history buff and not simply because it is the home of the world famous Terra Cotta Soldiers. Called Chang’an in ancient times, Xi’an is one of the birthplaces of the ancient civilization in the Yellow River Basin area of the country.
During Xi’an’s 3,100 year development, 13 dynasties such as Western Zhou (11th century BC – 771 BC), Qin (221 BC – 206 BC), Western Han (206 BC – 24 AD) and Tang (618 – 907) placed their capitals here. Along with Athens, Cairo, and Rome, Xi’an is one of the four major ancient civilization capitals. The cultural and historical significance of the area, as well as the abundant relics and sites, make Xi’an a Natural History Museum. It also happens to be the burial site of my ancestors from the Han Dynasty!
Xi’an is the capital of Shaanxi province, located in the southern part of the Guanzhong Plain. With the Qinling Mountains to the south and the Weihe River to the north, it is surrounded by water and hills. The Bell Tower is the geographical center of Xi’an and the four main streets are respectively Dong Dajie, Xi Dajie, Nan Dajie and Bei Dajie which are also the main commercial streets.
In the city, there is the 3,000 year old Banpo Village Remains from the Neolithic Age (approximately from 8000 BC to 5000 BC), and the Forest of Stone Steles that holds 3,000 stone steles of different periods from the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. Around Xi’an, the Famen Temple enjoys the reputation of being the ‘forefather of pagodas and temples in Central Shaanxi,’ because it holds the finger bones of Sakyamuni — the founder of Buddhism. The natural landscape around Xi’an is also very picturesque as Mt. Huashan is one of the five best-known mountains in China. Traditional downtown Xi’an refers to the area encircled by the city wall, this has now been expanded to encompass the area within the second ring road (Er’ huan Lu).
Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses
The Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses is known by some as theeighth major miracle of the world, Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang is listed on the World Heritage List, and the City Wall of the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644) is the largest and most intact Ming Dynasty castle in the world.
The Terracotta Army (兵马俑: literally “soldier and horse funerary statues”) or Terracotta Warriors and Horses is a collection of 8,099 life-size terra cotta figures of warriors and horses located near the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (秦始皇陵). The figures were discovered in 1974 near Xi’an, Shaanxi province. The terracotta figures were buried with the first Emperor of Qin (Qin Shi Huangdi) in 210-209 BC. Their purpose was to protect the Emperor in the afterlife. Consequently, they are also sometimes referred to as “Qin’s Armies”.
The Terracotta Army was discovered in March 1974 by local farmers drilling a water well to the east of Mount Lishan. Mount Lishan is the name of the man-made necropolis of the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty. This is also where the material to make the terracotta warriors was made, and found. Construction of this mausoleum began in 246 BC and is believed to have taken 700,000 workers and craftsmen 38 years to complete. Qin Shi Huangdi was interred inside the tomb complex upon his death in 210 BC. According to the Grand Historian Sima Qian, the First Emperor was buried alongside great amounts of treasure and objects of craftsmanship, as well as a scale replica of the universe complete with gemmed ceilings representing the cosmos, and flowing mercury representing the great earthly bodies of water. Pearls were also placed on the ceilings in the tomb to represent the stars and planets, etc. Recent scientific work at the site has shown high levels of mercury in the soil of Mount Lishan, tentatively indicating an accurate description of the site’s contents by Sima Qian.
The tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi is near an earthen pyramid 76 meters tall and nearly 350 meters square. The tomb presently remains unopened and unfound. There are plans to seal off the area around the tomb with a special tent-type structure to prevent corrosion from exposure to outside air. However, there is at present only one company in the world that makes these tents, and their largest model will not cover the site as needed. Qin Shi Huangdi’s necropolis complex was constructed to serve as an imperial compound or palace. It comprises several offices, halls and other structures and is surrounded by a wall with gateway entrances. The remains of the craftsmen working in the tomb may also be found within its confines, as it is believed they were sealed inside alive to keep them from divulging any secrets about its riches or entrance. It was only fitting, therefore, to have this compound protected by the massive terracotta army interred nearby.
Shaanxi Library
Here is one of the most modern buildings I saw at the time that I visited (late 1990s). Probably now one of the oldest buildings. It's the Shaanxi Library.
Muslim Snack Street
Xi’an is also famous for food with Shaanxi snacks, Guangdong cuisine, and various foreign delicacies such as the Sichuan hot pot. Among all the delicacies, the most famous and popular one is the Muslim Snack Street. I ate some interesting lamb dishes here and it tasted pretty good.
Tang Dynasty Dinner Show
The night life in Xi’an is decent and I took in a traditional performance. I chose one called the Tang Dynasty Dinner Show and included traditional food and music. Definitely worth checking out. It was a cross between Chinese Opera and some acrobatics.
MACAU
At 3,000 feet above sea level, Tzfat is the highest city in Israel. It is reputed as the center of Jewish mysticism (aka Kabbalah). The Crusaders built a fortress here and has become a center of Kabbalah study.
SHUNDE
Located at the northern tip of Haifa Bay, the walled Old City of Akko (aka Acre) is a great mix of mosques, markets, khans (Ottoman inns) and Crusader ruins. As you walk around you can see the remains of the 12th century walls built by the Crusaders who made Akko the main port of their Christian empire.
The underground Crusader city is located beneath the 18th and 19th century buildings standing in the city today. Deep inside is a series of vaulted rooms known as the Crusader Vaults and Halls. These chambers were discovered when a prison (built above the vaults) had a break in the 1940s and prisoners tunneled into the ground below. The hole through which they escaped can still be seen today high up in the ceiling of one of the vaults.
SHENZHEN
Located off the cliffs of Mount Carmel and adjacent to the Mediterranean is the city of Haifa, Israel’s “San Francisco”. It is Israel’s largest port and 3rd largest city. The city was ruled for over 400 years by the Ottomans and grew into a cosmopolitan city servicing the Middle East. Much like many cities in Israel, Haifa came under both Roman and Arab control. There are a few sights in the city but one of the most intriguing is the Baha’i Shrine and Gardens. Note this was the city that was bombarded by rocket fire from Lebanon less than two years ago. I’m happy to saw we didn’t see any sign of damage and no rockets were to be seen while we were visiting!
Haifa is the world center for the Baha’i faith which was founded in Iran in the 19th century. Its main tenament the unity of mankind. The Baha’i teach that great prophets have appeared throughout history to reveal divine truths: Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed and most recently the founder of the Baha’i faith, Mizra Husayn Ali known as Baha’u’llah. Baha’u’llah’s remains are located at the Baha’i Shrine which is one of the most prominent domed buildings in all of Haifa.
We also had the opportunity to visit a Druze Village and meet several Druze. This is a small sect of Arabs who practice a unique form of religion. Some of their key tenets include reincarnation, marriage only among Druze, and identification of specific individuals who serve as repositories of religious knowledge, Interestingly Druze serve in the Israeli military despite the obvious conflict that they are likely fighting Arabs of similar ethnic background. We were treated to a great dinner which had enough food to feed an army!
